Sunday, November 6, 2011

Sleep Aids: How Much Do You Need Them?

There are lots of sleep aids on the market it's no wonder we are mystified!

You can find natural home remedies, herbal mixes, sleeping pills, over-the-counter sleep solutions, sleep apnea apparatus, nasal snoring patches, Chinese medications, Bach flower remedies, homeopathic sprays, teas, nutritional supplements, dental plates, medical surgical procedures, melatonin - and that's before we have the more psychologically based sleep solutions!

Where should we begin to understand what is the best means to fix our sleeping problem?

The most important thing that we need to understand is the fact that insomnia is always an indicator of something more important. So, at first, be happy you've got insomnia - and that it is showing you that you have a issue somewhere. Yes, this sounds bizarre for some of you looking over this, nonetheless insomnia is an sign that something is not right. Lots of people forget about this most obvious and vital starting point in eliminating their sleep disorders.

What we do not want is to use something which will hide the symptom, so that we are not certain if the underlying problem has been resolved. So avoid choosing any kind of sleep aids until you have undertaken these things.

Write down on a piece of paper what might be the underlying problems that you might think could be associated with your insomnia. Are you really stressed at work? Is your home mortgage punishing you? Do you have any allergies or food intolerance? Are you taking any medications that are associated with insomnia? Are you overweight? Is your bedroom's temperature just right? Do you drink excessive amounts of alcohol (or use other substances) that are disturbing your sleep? Is your sleep pattern actually quite normal for your age group? Does your diet include food additives and colorings that are associated with sleeping problems? Do you have psychological problems? Do you have unresolved problems from your past?

And now write down exactly how your insomnia comes up. Do you find it difficult to get to sleep? Do you wake up a few hours after you fall asleep and can't go back to sleep? Is there a seasonal pattern to your sleep deprivation (sleeping less in winter, or summer)? Do you wake up too early and can't get back to sleep?

Until you actually proceed through this process, you'll not discover the underlying problem for your sleep disorder, and reason behind why your body, in all its wisdom, has shown you "the symptom". You might also understand that your Chinese medication is never going to make your schedule less hectic, or a sleeping pill can't fix your food allergies. Yes it sounds ridiculous, but people are actually making these choices, rather than fix the reason for their insomnia.

Like any labyrinth, the view from above will reveal the solution, so don't get caught up in the details of what is contained in certain sleep aids, the dosages, when to take them etc - you you might not have any need for any sleep aids at all!